The Lack Of Nurses Is Dramatically Affecting Patients ' Health Care Essay

Regrettably, the existence of nursing depends on the medical inadequacy of others. Unfortunately, nursing exists because people get hurt, cannot care for themselves, or need assistance with daily activities. Carol Taylor (2011), author of Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Nursing Care, writes, “Nursing care involves any number of activities, from carrying out complicated technical procedures to something as seemingly as holding a hand” (p. 5). Taylor explains it is the duty of a nurse not only to learn the pertinent skills but also to bond with and comfort others. Nurses have to do and become many things: They must be stern when necessary, compassionate when needed, open minded

A nurse is so much more than someone who administers medication, performs physical examinations, and establishes treatment plans. Nurses do not just listen to their patients needs, they advocate for them. They do not just take care of the suffering and ill, they have empathy for them. They do not just treat injuries and wounds, they heal the mind body and spirit. Being a nurse is not just a job title, it is an identity. It involves many core concepts and incorporates many values and beliefs. Being a nurse includes the concepts professionalism and patient and family - centered care. Both in which relate to the Benedictine values of the College of St. Scholastica.

Being a nurse not only means compassion, dedication, and intelligence, but the profession also requires endurance, personal sacrifice, and the need for continuous education. I have learned that nurses are some of the most caring and selfless people that anyone will ever meet. Nurses are more than willing to complete challenging tasks and care for others in a way that the majority of people are unwilling to. I am driven to bring all of these qualities into my role as a future nurse practitioner, which is why I am committed to pursuing my Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).

The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must

Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be a nurse. I am taking the very steps to be a nurse and, due to educational requirements, I had to read a memoir written by an actual nurse called The Shift by Theresa Brown. In this book, Theresa talks about her experience over a twelve-hour shift. She illustrates how a nurse works in a hospital environment with positive and negative aspects. There are so many beneficial outcomes of being a nurse such as the relationships formed between patients and nurses, and saving lives every day. But there are also disadvantages behind this profession like the long shifts nurses must work, the hierarchies of hospital jobs, the stress of life and death situations, and picky patients.

“Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.” – Florence Nightingale. Healthcare is a very demanding field, as long as people have a need for health care services there will always be a demand for healthcare providers. Due to the demand, healthcare has become a popular choice for many individuals as a career choice. Nursing is The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of nursing and its current status in the

As nurses, we have an innate ability to care for others. Because of this, we find that we have put others before ourselves, which makes for compassionate and empathetic nursing care, but can lead to internal downfalls. There is a shift for the nurse, when providing nurturing care for patients becomes difficult. The downfalls are seen after repeated exposure to stressful work environments, work overload, lack of recognition and the repeated exposure to patients suffering, which nurses attempted to relieve. With advancements in healthcare, prolonging of life, increasing physical and emotional needs from patients and their families and the aging of American, nurses have an increase in stressors and demands.

Nurses today are highly regarded and educated. Many nurses today are referred to as a registered nurse after completing only an (ADN) associate degree education. However, nurses are now encouraged to further their education to a (BSN) baccalaureate degree and beyond. Once a nurse has accomplished the goal of earning their BSN the differences can be seen in the way they care for their patients’.

Did you know that there is 126, 000 nursing positions unfilled in hospitals across the country ( Jackson, 2006) and the average nurse is 46 years of age? ( Alexandra, 2006). The public needs to see that the shortage of nurses is a major issue that is only going to get worse if something is not done about it. It has been shown that since the beginning of the shortage there has been an increase in mortality rates due to a increase of poor patient care. If this nursing shortage continues it will only decrease the quality of care the public receives, increase costs, make hospital stays longer, and health care less effective and efficient. Teamwork, good communication, critical thinking, and problem solving are all things

Have you ever thought about the role a nurse has between his or her client? A nurse’s role is more than just helping clients when they are not feeling well. In 2007 there were a reportedly 12 million nurse’s employed (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). That is a large amount of nurse’s that are employed in the world. A nurse protects, promotes, optimizes health and ability, prevents illness or injury, alleviates suffering through treatment and diagnosis of human response, and advocates in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations (Amercian Nurses Association, 2012). A nurse stands for many good qualities but, why is there a big shortage of nurses?

Every patient needs care, love and support while admitted to a hospital. With the lack of nurses, the patients are barely getting the proper care, love, and support he/she deserve. The nursing shortage has a huge impact on patient care. It does not give the nurses a chance to tend to the patients’ needs like the nurses should or would like too. Nurses work long hours in a highly stressful state, that causes team members to be fatigue, get injured, or have dissatisfaction of the work place. With nurses working under these conditions the majority are likely to make many mistakes and errors. This issue is very controversial because nurses are forced to over themselves to make sure everything patient has been seen. If nurses continue to go

My inspiration to pursue a career in Nursing began at a young age, after reading the biography of Florence Nightingale. I was in middle school, and intrigued at her courage, and dedication to care for the sick. As I entered college, and into a formal nursing education program, I still viewed nursing as, the care provided to another in need. Without my knowing, I was developing a philosophy of nursing for myself. As the years passed, I began to realize that nursing encompassed much more than caring for the sick. I began to learn that nursing, as discipline, had much more responsibility. According to the International Council of Nurses, “Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.” This paper will explore my own personal philosophy of nursing, and the shared beliefs, values, and theories that were instrumental in my decision to pursue a career in nursing (www.icn.ch).

In today’s society, there is a growing need for practicing nurses, clinically and academically. This is the main focus of this paper, along with the articles that support it. It is stated that there is not only a global shortage of clinical nurses, but there is also a nursing faculty shortage. This impacts the quality of education future nurses will receive, which will then affect how they provide quality patient care. Many practicing nurses are approaching retirement and/or have gone into other fields. Nurses, essentially, become academically involved later in their career path, which leaves the clinical setting short on available nurses. (Nardi & Gyurko, 2013.)

Nurses today are becoming so much more than a doctor’s assistant or a mother figure as they have been in the past. The profession of nursing has grown tremendously in the past hundred years and continues to grow and change every day. The only thing constant in nursing is change. Registered nurses are often there for the pivotal parts of life from birth to death, and everything in between. Nurses can be men or women, can work in various different settings, have many different responsibilities depending on where they work, and often their hard work goes unnoticed. This paper will outline the specific roles of a registered nurse, the various settings in which registered nurses work, the different levels of nursing along with their scopes of practice, the educational requirements for the various levels of nursing, how registered nurses are held accountable for their actions, and the significance of safety to the delivery of patient care.

Nurses are faced with challenges daily, these include: shortage of staff, limited resources, increased workload and the public perception of the profession. All these affect how the nurse performs her duties to the public. With all the shortages, he/she must provide the best possible care to her/his patient and the public at large, regardless of Race, Gender or Nationality.